Medical penoplasty

Medical penoplasty using hyaluronic acid is a non-invasive medical technique that quickly and easily increases the circumference of the penis.

Anti Age Magazine: More and more men are prepared to undergo medical treatment to increase the size of their penis. How do you respond to this demand?

Dr Stéphane Auroy: American, German and English studies have shown that the most important factor in sexual intercourse, both for women and men, is the penis’ girth…and the aim of medical penoplasty is to increase this circumference. Any man who wants to increase his girth can choose to undergo this procedure, which has greatly evolved with the introduction of hyaluronic acid injections. Today, we have access to a very reliable technique that is easily repeated and very safe. We can therefore respond to this high demand with a minimally- invasive medical procedure, which no longer involves invasive surgery.

AAM: This operation is gradually becoming more accessible and the equipment is being adapted to make the operation more comfortable for the patient. What has changed?

SA: There are two important elements. The first is that the hyaluronic acid used must be very good quality and cross-linked, so it will resist over time. We need to choose monophasic cross-linked gels that can be easily dispersed without forming lumps. The final result depends on the quality of the product used.

The second concerns the equipment used to carry out the injections. A penis can only be injected using a cannula: there is no question of using a needle and making several injection points. The injections must be carried out through one entry point, or two maximum. The cannulas must not be too thick, otherwise they are too rigid. Equally, they should not be too supple, because the penis is quite a long organ, so the cannula risks being bent. The best choice is a cannula that is rigid enough so it will not break or bend, but one which allows the hyaluronic acid to be injected easily.

AAM: Compared to other methods, such as lipofilling, what are the advantages of medical penoplasty?

SA: Lipofilling involves injecting fat (the patient’s own), which requires the procedure to be carried out in an operating theatre under general anaesthetic. There can also be some problems with irregular distribution of the fat. When it is not distributed correctly, fat is difficult to remove. This type of surgery is very complicated, there is no way of reversing it and sometimes the patient needs to have it done again because the fat has been partially reabsorbed.

AAM: How is medical penoplasty carried out?

SA: It is an outpatient procedure, not a surgical operation. Nevertheless, it must be carried out by a doctor who has trained in this technique, as the penis is very different to the other organs.

First, the patient meets with the doctor to discuss their expectations. On the day of the procedure, the patient applies an anaesthetic cream an hour before their appointment, to the places where the injections will be carried out (head and shaft). I make two injection points: one into the head of the penis (if we want to enlarge it), and the other into the shaft. When the injections are finished, we apply one or two dressings onto the penis, and the patient can then return home. We recommend refraining from any sexual activity for a week, so as not to displace the product before it settles. The aftercare is straightforward: just topical antiseptic. Gently massaging the area several times a day can help distribute the product around the shaft of the penis.

AAM: Does medical penoplasty have a psychological/social dimension that can change a man’s life in various ways?

SA: It is a bit like breast implants for women. Many men think their penis is smaller than the norm (the European average is 13cm when erect). This procedure can therefore give men a huge confidence boost in their everyday life, and particularly during sex. It is also important to say that, when medical penoplasty first came out, we expected to see patients with a micro-penis (smaller than 8cm when erect). But that is not the case at all. The first requests we had were from men whose penis was completely normal but who wanted to make the shaft look better, which means they really wanted a thicker penis.

Specialist in dermatology and venereology. Master of Advanced Studies in skin biology and pharmacology. Former Registrar for the Paris Hospitals, specialising in aesthetic dermatology for the last 20 years. Tutor at the Paris V faculty, teaching the university diploma in “Evaluation and control of injection and volume-enhancing techniques” Speaker at aesthetics conferences.